Cover letter on company letterhead. How to write a cover letter for documents: sample

In Western countries, where the free labor market is much older than the Russian one, sending a resume to an employer without a cover letter is not accepted: it is considered impolite. In Russia, job search traditions are still developing, so attitudes towards cover letters vary.

Do you need to spend time and effort on a cover letter? And if so, how exactly is it compiled? To be able to create for yourself competitive advantage, read the tips.

To write or not to write? That is the question…
To write or not to write a cover letter when sending a resume to a vacancy you are interested in? Almost all job seekers ask this question every day. More than half of them (54%), according to the Research Center website, decide for themselves that cover letters are a waste of time, because all important information outlined in the resume. About a third of Russians (31%), on the contrary, are confident that a correctly drafted plan significantly increases the chances of success. Whose point of view is correct?

This correspondence dispute is one of those in which both sides are right in their own way. According to the site, the majority of employers (91%) consider all resumes, regardless of the presence of a cover letter, 8% work only with those resumes that have at least a formal cover letter, and only 1% do not consider resumes without cover letters at all.

Why do Russian recruiters, unlike their Western colleagues, do not attach importance to cover letters? The reason is the insufficiently high level of these documents. According to hiring managers, most applicants do not know how to write cover letters correctly, so often an illogical message with many errors is simply not taken into account. “The cover letter is not that important because very few job seekers know how to write one,” explain the recruiters we interviewed.

But against this background it’s easy to buy extra points! If your cover letter is written logically, competently and contains information important to the employer, rest assured that this will be a significant plus! You just need to learn how to write this document, and the path to your dream job may become shorter.

Cover letter structure
Let's start with the main thing. Why do we write a cover letter? The purpose of this document is to draw attention to your resume, make the recruiter read it carefully and become interested in your candidacy.

At the same time, the wording must fit within the framework of generally accepted ideas about business correspondence. Creativity and humor are only acceptable if you do not doubt the appropriateness and quality of your ideas and jokes. However, there is one caveat. If you are applying for a position in a creative team, then deviations from business style are quite appropriate. With a non-standard (but interesting and competent) cover letter, you may well be of interest to the employer.

What should you say in your cover letter? Experts highlight several points that should be adhered to.

Very important correct address to the addressee. As a rule, vacancies posted on the site contain information about a contact person - the HR manager who directly supervises the vacancy. It is best to address the cover letter to him. "Good day, Elena!"; “Dear Igor Anatolyevich!” - the usual formulations are quite suitable. If a specific employee is not specified, you can use standard “politeness formulas”: “Dear ladies and gentlemen!” Experts warn against informal addresses that are not typical for a business style of letter, for example, “Good day, employees of LLC “***”!” and so on.

It is also customary to indicate in the cover letter source of job information: “On your company’s social network page it is reported that you are looking for a sales manager”; “From your employee, IT specialist Sergei Sergeev, I learned that you have an open vacancy for a 1C programmer.” However, if you send your resume through a recruiting portal, this is not necessary - the recruiter will already know where you got the information.

Now let's get to the point. In a few sentences (short and clear) you need to state, who are you and why do you want to work for this company?. At the same time, there is no need to restate your resume - it is only important to emphasize the most important thing - what distinguishes you from other candidates. As a rule, this is work experience and professional achievements. For example: “My experience in the PR field is 4 years. At my current job, I was able to double the number of media publications about the company within the previous budget. Working for you attracts me because of the scale of the tasks and the opportunity to work in a creative team.” Interested in your qualities, the recruiter will open and carefully study your CV.

Experts warn: you should not write about your career ambitions in your cover letter. This can scare off the recruiter, because at the moment he needs to fill a specific position, and not replenish personnel reserve top managers with your candidacy. So the phrase: “Working in your company attracts me with the opportunity career growth“—it’s better to cross it out.

There is no need to focus on dubious places in your resume, if there are any. For example, it is better to explain why you have not worked for six months at an interview, in person. A cover letter is not a confession or a detailed autobiography, but only a short business self-presentation.

Avoid platitudes. “I am easy to train, sociable and stress-resistant” - this is stated in many resumes and cover letters, so many recruiters do not pay attention to such template phrases.

At the end of the letter, do not forget to add that if you are interested in your candidacy, you are ready to come for an interview and answer all the remaining questions for you. In addition, it is necessary subscribe and indicate your contacts. Of course, this data is in the resume, but these are the rules of business etiquette.

“Working for your company attracts me...”
So, what should a good cover letter look like? For example, a candidate for the position of sales manager could write it as follows:

“Good afternoon, Ekaterina!

From the “Career” section on your company’s website, I learned about an open vacancy for a sales manager.

You may be interested in my experience in this area: I have been in sales for five years software in company "***". Among my personal achievements are large supply contracts software products with a number of state corporations, increasing the company’s sales level by 40% annually.

Working for your company attracts me with the opportunity to apply my experience and knowledge on a larger scale. big business. If my resume (see attached) interests you, I will be happy to answer your questions during the interview.

Best regards, Ivan Ivanov,
tel. +7 (910) ***-**-**.”

Finishing touches
Before sending your written letter and resume to the recipient, soberly assess its volume. Should be guided simple rule: brevity is the soul of wit. 2-3 small paragraphs - this will be enough to interest the recruiter, but not tire him.

Finally, don't forget check your creation for literacy. Spelling and punctuation errors can ruin all your hard work, especially if the position you are applying for requires high level general development. So use dictionaries, reference books and computer capabilities. text editors.

And about formalities. If you are sending your resume by email, your cover letter should be in the “body” of your email. If by fax - on a separate page, which must be sent first, before the resume. Recruiting portals usually have a special window for a cover letter.

Good luck and inspiration!

The first and basic rule that applies is that it must be written. It doesn’t matter what position in the company you are applying for: CEO or assistant secretary. If you really want this job, get the recruiter interested. In addition to formal asides about where you found a vacancy and why this job interested you, write a text that will give an idea of you as a future employee. What exactly can you offer a future employer? How did you distinguish yourself in past work? What skills will be useful in this job? The answer to at least one of these questions should be in your cover letter.

A good cover letter for your resume

Writing the perfect cover letter for your resume can be challenging. You must take into account the subjective human factor. Some HR managers will think your letter is good, but others will not. But still, you need to try to make it universal.

"Hello Maria

My name is Alexandra Rykova. I found an open vacancy at your company for the position of content manager. I am interested in this work because I have been filling websites and communities in in social networks(I attach examples in my resume). During this time, I mastered the basics of working with Adobe Photoshop, various CMS systems, and also gained knowledge of HTML layout.

If you are interested in my skills, I am ready to immediately start working in the office or remotely. You can contact me by telephone (+7 333 11 11 111) or by email ( [email protected]).

Best regards, Alexandra."

Let's look at the example given above:

there is an address address;
the applicant indicated the position for which he is applying (to avoid confusion);
the source from which the vacancy was taken is indicated;
the required experience is mentioned;
key skills have been written, an example of the application of which can be seen in the resume;
contacts are indicated for quick communication with the applicant;
correct farewell at the end of the letter.

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Writing a cover letter

In a letter sent to an employer, it is necessary to cover 4 topics:

Indicate the vacancy for which you are applying.
Description of experience in this field (spend 3-4 sentences on this).
A summary of the benefits of working with you.
Description of why you want to work for this employer.

The listed topics should occupy no more than half of an A4 page. This will allow the employer to quickly get an idea of you as a future employee.

Key points:

Sender's address. The best option if it consists of the sender's first and last name. Example of a bad email address - [email protected]. Most likely, the employer will not even open the letter from this sender;
Cover letter subject. It requires answering 2 questions: who the message came from and what it was about. For example, “From E.G. Ivanov based on the results of the interview for the position of head of the advertising department";
Text. It should be compiled on the 4 topics listed above. The basic rules are to write concisely, but at the same time express the essence of the matter in full.

The letter should be written in such a way that the employer wants to call you and inform you that he has read the letter.

Features of writing a letter to an employer

Actual information

The ultimate goal of writing is to demonstrate to a potential employer, what value you can provide to his company. Therefore, it would be appropriate to attach to the letter examples of several of your works, accompanying each of them a short history its creation. When choosing such works, proceed from which of them may be of greater interest to your recipient.

When writing a cover letter, it is recommended to consider several nuances:
It is recommended to start it with a greeting by name. To do this, just contact the company and find out the name of the hiring manager;
Immediately after the greeting, you must indicate the purpose of the letter. This is required so that the reader, reading the remaining sentences, understands their focus;
You must write briefly about yourself and your previous work experience - all details are indicated in the resume, there is no point in repeating yourself;
It is recommended to expand on the topic of the benefits of cooperation with you and work preferences in a little more detail. The best option is to indicate 3 strong abilities;
Before making proposals expressing your interest in the company, it is recommended to study its official website, and, if possible, communicate with employees or people who have already worked there;
Don't forget to sign and provide contact information.

The cover letter may include an invitation to review the resume. For the convenience of the employer, you can indicate in it a link to the electronic version of the document, having previously posted it on the Internet.

Watch the video for details on writing a resume and letter to an employer.

Possible mistakes when writing a letter

When composing a letter, it is important to make sure that it is free of grammatical errors and omissions. They spoil the impression of a potential employee.

Possible mistakes:

Use of personal pronouns. If it is not possible to completely remove them from the letter, then reduce their use to a minimum;
There is an error in spelling the addressee's full name or company name. Before sending, make sure once again that the application is completed correctly;
List your shortcomings. The cover letter must indicate the advantages of the job; there is no point in writing about the disadvantages.

The writing style should be chosen depending on future work, but personal style is preferable. Pay attention to the job description and appearance website of the employing company - the more formal the style, the more delicate your letter should be. Be sure to check spelling and style errors before submitting.

If the letter to the employer will be submitted not in an electronic version, but on paper, then do not correct the errors - it is better to rewrite the text again.

A sample letter to an employer about hiring is freely available. It is recommended to use them when drawing up an appeal to avoid possible shortcomings.

To get expert commentary, ask questions below

Cover letter for resume- this is a document in which you can present yourself in a more free form with best side and interest the employer.

The presence of a cover letter for a job application is an additional advantage for the applicant when applying for a job.

How to write a cover letter for a resume

How to write a response to a vacancy? If a cover letter for a resume is sent specifically to the head of the HR department or the head of the company, his full name, position and company name must be indicated in the header of the document.

Compiling a cover letter for a job application begins with an application. Examples of references in a cover letter:

Hello!
Good afternoon
Dear Sirs!
Good afternoon, …(name/Mr. or Mrs. …/full name)
Dear …(name/Mr. or Mrs. …/full name)

For example:

I am interested/interested in the position...
Your company is known as a leader in the field of...
Recently I saw / and on your website / on the website ... / in the newspaper an open vacancy ...

Then you need to say why you applied to this particular company and want to take this particular position. Here you can focus on your professional achievements and work skills.

For example:

I can describe myself as...
I have...years of experience in the field...
I am fluent...

In the next part of the cover letter when applying for a vacancy, you need to express your readability of the letter and attention to the candidacy.

For example:

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter.
Thank you for your attention to my candidacy
I will be grateful if you can call me back
If necessary, I can come to you for an interview at any time convenient for you.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at the phone number below.
I would be happy to accept an offer to meet with you and talk in more detail about...

If you send a resume or letter of recommendation along with a cover letter, you must say:

You will find my resume and recommendations in the attached file.
You will find more detailed information about my professional activities in the attached resume.

Today, the Internet is the most popular tool for finding a job. The most basic way is to leave a response to a vacancy on a personnel website with just one click. But when it comes to submitting your resume by email, here applicants often make mistakes. We will tell you how to correctly send your resume to an employer so that it does not go unnoticed.

Subject line when sending your resume

Job seekers often neglect the most important rule- correctly format the subject line when sending your resume by email. Do not leave this field empty under any circumstances: without a subject, your letter may end up in spam, or the employer simply will not notice it.

The topic should be brief but contain the necessary information. Examples of successful topics: “Response to the vacancy of an assistant designer”, “Resume of the chief accountant”, “Resume of A. N. Ivanova for the position of translator”.

Sometimes the employer asks you to indicate something specific in the subject line of the letter (for example, a vacancy code). Be sure to pay attention to this so that you are not considered absent-minded.

Do you want to send an employer a truly high-quality resume?

Our specialists know how to prepare an effective resume, taking into account all your professional and personal characteristics.

We are pleased to invite you to our agency. With the help of qualified specialists, you can show the employer your serious attitude and make your candidacy stand out from others.

What to write to an employer when sending a resume

You should not send the employer a blank letter with an attached resume file. Having a cover letter is not only considered a sign of good manners, but also shows your sincere interest in the proposed position.